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One hundred eight years of editorii/freedom
Thursday
November 12, 1998
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GEO proposes wage increase to
' '
By Paul Berg
Daily Staff Reporter
As negotiators walked past, about 40 Graduate
Employees Organization members crowded the
LSA Building's second-floor hallways last night in
support of the GEO's bargaining team.
's not just the bargaining committee," GEO
member Ulrike Peters said. "The membership sup-
ports them."
Last night, GEO presented University bargain-
ers with a wage proposal asking for a 37 percent
increase in pay.
The demanded wage increase stems from statis-
ties GEO gathered on Ann Arbor housing costs
and the percentage of a graduate student employ-
ee's income rent consumes. GEO negotiators are
asking for what they call "a living wage."
Currently, the average Graduate Student
Instructor earns $1,133 per month. GEO presented
information gathered from University Housing last
night which illustrated that splitting a two-bed-
room apartment costs $453 per month. As one of
the cheapest options available, rent amounts to 42
percent of the average GSI income.
According to GEO literature, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics indicates 26 percent of income
should go to rent.. The proposed increase would
raise GEO wages to $1,557 per month and reduce
to 30 percent the amount of CSI income spent on
rent.
Many of the signs carried by GEO members
before the bargaining session displayed rent cost
figures as a percentage of income.
GEO member John Minderhout held a sign that
read "67 percent of my salary goes to rent, and that
doesn't include heat."
"A lot of it depends on your individual circum-
stances, but Ann Arbor is a very expensive city,"
GEO member Bruce Spencer said.
Academic Human Resources Director Dan
Gamble, chair of the University's bargaining com-
mittee, said GEO's wage proposal ignores impor-
tant concerns.
"It doesn't take a lot of things into considera-
tion," Gamble said. "The University tries to divide
our limited funds fairly among employees.
"It's probably pretty consistent with first wage
proposals from the past" he said. "It's pretty
rich."
GEO President Eric Dirnbach said financial
security partially determines how well a GSI can
concentrate on the responsibilities of the classroom.
"Some of us run out of money," Dirnbach said.
"This atfects our ability to teach and research, and
hurts the University"
See GEO, Page 7A
GEO contract
proposals:
® Increase graduate employees'
wages
Create positions and polices
to foster affirmative action in
graduate employment
® Maintain affirmative action in
admissions policies
Change allegedly
discriminatory hiring practices
* Compensate international
graduate employee trainees
Clinton
says he is
prepared
to act'
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - President
Clinton declared yesterday that he was
"prepared to act" forcefully to end Iraq's
defiance of United Nations weapons
inspections, authorizing a new buildup
of military forces in the Persian Gulf as
UN. officials evacuated most weapons
inspectors and relief personnel from
fihdad
' he Pentagon dispatched 129 addi-
tional land-based warplanes and 3,000
-more Army soldiers to the region, one
day after accelerating deployment of a
naval aircraft carrier and Marine
amphibious group.
The extra forces constitute roughly a
doubling of U.S. military strength in the
gulf region and come close to the enor-
mous firepower massed there during the
pr:ious armed confrontation with Iraq
ltwinter.
The timing of any possible U.S.
airstrikes remained unclear. Defense
officials said it would take up to two
weeks for all the additional forces to
reach the gulf. But Clinton, who plans to
leave Saturday for a meeting in Malaysia
of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
nations, retains the option of ordering an
attack before the full complement of
fes is in place, they said.
sthe likelihood of military action
appeared to mount, more than 100
weapons inspectors working for the
U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM)
left Baghdad for Bahrain in a hastily
assembled convoy of buses, jeeps and
trucks. UNSCOM's executive director,
Richard Butler, said in New York that he
had decided to pull the inspectors out as
"a precautionary measure"after confer-
ring Tuesday night with A. Peter
B~jigh acting U.S. ambassador to the
Nations.
The United Nations also withdrew to
Jordan 170 employees monitoring distri-
bution of relief supplies. Saying they
hoped he reduction in relief work would
be temporary, U.N. officials added that
they were leaving 40 people in Baghdad,
including Secretary General Kofi
Annan's personal envoy, Prakash Shah,
and keeping another 231 monitors
king in Iraq's breakaway Kurdish
provinces.
The State Department authorized the
withdrawal of most government person-
nel and all dependents from embassies
in Kuwait and Israel. The department
also recommended that private U.S. citi-
zens in both countries consider leaving.
It noted that while the possibility of Iraq
launching chemical or biological
weapons against neighboring states was
remote, "it cannot be excluded" as a pre-
*ton against such an attack.
Addressing a Veterans Day ceremony
at Arlington National Cemetery, Clinton
offered his most extensive public argu-
ment for a possible attack since Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein announced
an end to cooperation with U.N.
weapons inspectors on Oct. 31.
"A failure to respond could embolden
Saddam to act recklessly, signaling to
bnthat he can with impunity, develop
weapons of mass destruction or
threaten his neighbors,' the president
said.
"...And it would permanently damage
the credibility of the United Nations
Security Council to act as a force for
promoting international peace and secu-
CELEBRATING HEROES
Campus
honors
veterans
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily StaffReporter
The Army, Navy and Air Force
ROTC units publicly recognized"
Veterans Day yesterday in a colorful
ceremony to honor those who
fought for the United States, and
those currently preparing for similar
missions.
"It was pretty inspirational, said
first-year Engineering student and
Air Force cadet Neil Moser.
At 8 a.m., ROTC members beganj
Veterans Day with a short flag cere-
mony at North Hall. After raising the
U.S. flag and the POW MIA flag, two
Navy midshipmen played "Taps" for
veterans missing in action and fallen
soldiers.
From North 'Hall, ROTC contin-
ued its ceremony with a march to
Rackham Auditorium, where it pre- a
sented an impressive list of speak-
ers.
LSA senior Joshua Hammond, a
midshipman in the Navy, and alum- ?-
nus Erich Krumrei, a second lieu- 4
tenant in the Marine Corps, createdt
the ceremony last year under the
guidance of Associate Vice Provost
of Academic and Multicultural
Affairs Lester Monts.
"Our task today it to remember
these heroes that risked their lives for
future generations,' said Ann Arbor
Mayor Ingrid Sheldon, who spoke at
the event.
Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor)
See VETERANS, Page 2ATO
Inside: Great War veterans honored President Clinton lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in
in Belgium. Page 9A honor of Veterans Day yesterday.
Raids halt
more Greek
social plans
By Nlkita Easley
Daily Staff Reporter
Two more fraternities have suspended social activities
after Ann Arbor Police Department officials raided
house and fraternity parties this past weekend, ticketing
75 students for underage drinking.
Dave Westol, international executive director of Theta
Chi, said yesterday the fraternity has canceled all social
activities until the closure of the investigation. Beta
Theta Pi also has canceled social activities for this week-
end, Interfraternity Council President Bradley Holeman
said yesterday.
Additionally, the director of chapter development for
Theta Chi will visit Ann Arbor tomorrow and attend a
meeting with University officials and AAPD authorities.
Sigma Nu members, along with representatives from
their International headquarters, mutually agreed
Monday to cancel all social activities involving alcohol.
"This is, in fact, our expectation of them," said David
Glassman, a representative from Sigma Nu's national
organization.
Glassman said he hopes the fraternity will have its
internal investigation wrapped up hy the end of this week
or early next week.
University spokesperson Julie Peterson said the
University "has not changed its policies" and will not
call the parents of the 75 underage students who received
tickets for possession of alcohol.
Recent changes to the Family Education Rights to
Privacy Act give the University permission to call the
parents of minors who have been charged with alcohol or
drug offenses.
To stabilize the relationship between the Greek com-
munity and the University, both groups met Tuesday
night to clear up concerns and talk one on one with each
other.
"We wanted to open lines of communication," said
Maureen Hartford, vice president for student affairs.
Hartford added that speculation of the University's
possible involvement in the raids was false and the
University was unaware of theundercoveroperations.
Holcman said the meeting was the first of many the
fraternity and sorority presidents will have with the
University administrators.
"The past is the past, but now in the future we are
See FRATERNITIES, Page 7A
Jews and Muslims discuss Mideast
By Daniel Weiss of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination peace process are encouraging.
Daily Staff Reporter Committee, said in her introductory remarks. The event's mood became tense as Hasan New
'ash,
In what organizers touted as an historic event for the
University, Muslims and Jewish community members
met last night in East Hall to discuss the prospects for
peace in the Mideast.
Sponsored by groups that include the American-
Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Hillel's
Major Events Committee, the event drew more than
120 people and included four panelists.
"We're not looking to come out of here with any
kind of peace agreement," Deana Rabiah, a member
Moderator David Singer, a University political sci-
ence professor, added comments before the panelists
began.
"Every enduring rivalry in international history
eventually terminates," Singer said, noting that some-
times war leads to reconciliation or peaceful negotia-
tion.
The evening began with a 10-minute address by
each panelist. Tzipora Rimon, the consul general of
Israel to the Midwest, said recent developments in the
who was born in Israel and is now a Palestinian
activist, decried U.S. sanctions against Iraq.
"I want to demonstrate tonight that Israel engaged
in mass extermination of Palestinians from the begin-
ning," Newash said.
Newash read a narrative by a Palestinian describing
harsh treatment at the hands of Israelis and drew loud
applause from some in the audience.
Newash said he wanted to speak directly to Jewish
See PANEL, Page 9A
AND)I MAIO/Daily~
Eastern Michigan University Prof.
Michael Harris speaks t9 the audience.
Reaching their goal
Students air opinions of Code
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
Only a handful of the University's 37,197 students attend-
ed a forum on the Student Code of Conduct last night spon-
sored by the Michigan Student Assembly.
"It was a good turnout considering most people on campus
don't know about the Code," said Olga Savic, MSA Students'
Rights Commission chair. "This is only the beginning of the
discussion."
About 30 students participated in the open forum and dis-
cussed various aspects of the Code, including legal, moral
and academic interests. The results of the forum and other
research will be submitted to the University Board of Regents
as part of the Code review in December.
"We need to know what students like about the Code, want
in a code ... This is our chance to actually make an impact on
Several speakers emphasized the lack of student knowl-
edge of the Code and its definition of "community stan-
dards."
"I came in freshman year, and they gave us this little novel
of paperwork - we threw it out,' said Abe Rafi, president of
the University chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
"It's difficult to function when you have to live up to a
community standard ... that hasn't been articulated to us as
students," said Bram Elias, MSA treasurer.
Students also discussed the Code's length and difficult
word usage.
"The problem with the Code is that I don't know what the
punishments are," said Sarah Chopp, MSA vice president.
A few students spoke in support of the Code, praising the
fact that it offers students certain protections.
The Code "ties in with the whole reason why we are at the
WARREN ZINN/Daiiv
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